At an age when many youngsters are still exploring their career options, 18-year-old Shadab Rafi from South Kashmir’s Anantnag district has already charted a unique path through the demanding world of combat sports.<\/p>\n
A two-time national medallist in taekwondo and a wrestling medal winner, Shadab has now set his sights on Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), one of the fastest-growing combat sports in the world.<\/p>\n
In an interaction with Greater Kashmir, Shadab said his journey into sports began in childhood. Shadab said he was fascinated by martial arts from an early age.<\/p>\n
“I have always been interested in martial arts. Since childhood, I have trained in different combat sports, including taekwondo, wrestling and wushu. These sports helped me build a strong foundation,” he said.<\/p>\n
Shadab said that 3 years ago, he was introduced to MMA, a sport that combines techniques from multiple martial arts disciplines.<\/p>\n
“MMA is a mixture of all martial arts. When I tried it for the first time, I felt that I was made for this sport. My background in wrestling, taekwondo and wushu helped me tremendously. That is when I decided to give it my full commitment,” he said.<\/p>\n
Like many athletes in Kashmir, Shadab had to balance sporting ambitions with academic responsibilities and societal expectations.<\/p>\n
“My parents have always supported me, but in Kashmir, people often encourage you to focus more on studies. It can be difficult to convince others that sports can also be a serious profession,” he said.<\/p>\n
Having recently completed his Class 12 education through CBSE, Shadab acknowledges that pursuing MMA professionally demands significant sacrifices.<\/p>\n
“You can continue studies alongside sports, but if you want to excel in MMA professionally, you have to dedicate yourself completely. It requires time, effort and commitment,” he said.<\/p>\n
Shadab said that his training sessions begin early and include a combination of technical drills, strength and conditioning exercises, running, hill sprints and sparring sessions designed to prepare him for the physical and mental demands of the sport.<\/p>\n
“The journey is hard and challenging. There will be sacrifices and obstacles, but I believe I have the potential to achieve my goals. I have faith in myself, and I am ready for the challenges,” he said.<\/p>\n
Throughout his journey, Shadab credits his parents and coaches for their unwavering support.<\/p>\n
“The contribution of my coaches and parents has been immense. Whatever I have achieved so far would not have been possible without them,” he says.<\/p>\n
Like many aspiring MMA fighters around the world, Shadab draws inspiration from elite competitors known for their discipline and mental strength.<\/p>\n
“What inspires me most is the discipline and mentality of top fighters. MMA is not just about physical strength; it is a mental game. Watching fighters like Khabib teaches us the importance of discipline, patience and dedication,” he said.<\/p>\n
For Shadab, martial arts extend beyond competition and medals. He views them as a way of life that shapes character and personality.<\/p>\n
“Martial arts are not about aggression or fighting. They teach discipline, respect and self-control. It becomes a lifestyle that helps you become a better person in every aspect of life,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At an age when many youngsters are still exploring their career options, 18-year-old Shadab Rafi from South Kashmir’s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":707449,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,785,85],"class_list":["post-707448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=707448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707448\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/707449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=707448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=707448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=707448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}